The Philadelphia Flyers could use a substantial offensive effort out of the Russian defenseman as they take on the Florida Panthers at home.
Coming off of a blowout victory over the Washington Capitals on the road in their last contest, the Philadelphia Flyers will aim for their second win in a row as they return to the Wells Fargo Center and face off with the Florida Panthers. This meeting will be a critical one for each team, as both sides continue to vie for an Eastern Conference playoff position. Neither can afford to leave points on the table given how tight the race currently stands, making for what should be a hotly contested affair between the two squads.
If the Flyers need one player to come out of their offensive funk tonight, it’s Ivan Provorov. The Russian blueliner has struggled for Philadelphia recently, posting one point in his last eight games and two in his previous 14. While the team doesn’t necessarily live or die by Provorov’s production on offense, it certainly wouldn’t hurt if their best defenseman could find a way to break out of this pointless skid and play his part in leading the Flyers to victory. Florida hasn’t made it easy on him in the past, though, holding Provorov to one point in ten career games against the Atlantic Division club. Still, I have faith that Provi will be able to solve this issue eventually, and what better way to do so by dominating a team that’s given you fits throughout your NHL tenure?
In other lineup and goaltender related news, I’m happy to inform the masses that it’s looking like Carter Hart will return to the crease for the Flyers in this one. The 21-year-old netminder has been out of action since January 11th after suffering an abdominal strain during a team practice. Philly will obviously welcome back Hart with open arms, but should also commend Brian Elliott for playing so well as the starter in his absence.
Puck drop is set for 7 pm EST. You can watch the game on NBC Sports Philadelphia, Fox Sports Florida, or ESPN+, which has a free 7-day trial that includes live streaming for this game on all your smart devices! Besides NHL games, ESPN+ features a selection of live games from MLB, MLS, Serie A, FA Cup, and EFL. Get in on the action with Live UFC Fight Nights, 30+ Top Rank Boxing cards, Grand Slam tennis from Wimbledon, US Open and Australian Open.